Electric mechanical packer



March 24, 1942. M. A. HARRIS 2,277,321

` ELECTRIC-MECHANICAL PAGKER Filed June 9, 1958 4' Sheets-Sheet 1 MosesFarris March 24, 1942. M. A. HARRIS ELECTRIC-MECHANICAL PACKER Filed Jun9, 193s 4 sheets-sheet 2 Mose.: carrs' March 24, 1942. M. A. HARRISELECTRIC-MECHANICAL PACKER Filed June 9, `1938 4 Sheets-She''b 3Snventor M566 u@ Ea/rji Gttomegs.

March 24, 1942.

M. A. HARRIS ELECTRIC-MECHANICAL PACKER Filed June .9, 1938 4Sheets-Sheet` 4 Juventor @ses uz. arrs' Patented Mar. 24, 1942 S.li-melilla? @ififi 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in electric-mechanicalpackers and generally v speaking consists in certain improvements overmy prior U. S. Patent No. 1,753,412 granted April 8, i930 for Electricpacker.

In common with the objects of my prior patent aforesaid, the presentinvention purposes to pack properly into cans or other containers suchdry materials as our, litharge, cement and similar substances, althoughthe invention will be applicable to any material packed into containers.

In accordance with my prior patent the container and its contents weresubjected to a vibratory action only for the purpose of settling andpacking down the material and liberating the air from in and about theparticles of the material. It is an object of the present invention toretain that electrical vibratory action and at the same time to subjectthe container and its contents to a mechanical jarring or tampingaction.

It is another object of the invention to combine into a single unit ormachine the two agencies of electrical vibratory action and mechanicaljarring in such a conjoint manner that a container placed in the machinemay be simultaneously subjected to both actions in order to pack thematerial to the required density in the minimum space of time.

While all materials should be well packed as to density and compactness,they must not be packed in a way that will cause them to become solidmasses, necessitating the mutilating of the container and loss ofmaterial in trying to remove the product. With litharge and otherlightcolored substances discoloration is often caused where anauger-type packer is used, such discoloration being caused by theexcessive pressure and heat engendered by the auger action in forcingthe material into the container. Consequently it is a further purpose ofthe present invention to pack a container with no heavy pressure exerteddirectly on the material and yet to pack such material densely althoughin a condition which will allow easy emptying.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the total electric powerrequired to operate the packer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a completelyself-contained machine which can be placed in any type of building andin any position without relation to a main or countershaft.

It is another object of the invention to provide a unitary machine inwhich the container may be subjected to electrical vibration alone ifdesired, or to mechanical jarring alone, or to both actions combined.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, an improvementover the old auger-type of packer, a mechanical packing device nothowever touching the material by anything that would discolor it. f

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinaiter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a front elevation of an electricmechanical packerconstructed in accordance with the present invention with parts brokenaway.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5--5 inFigure l.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the supporting column and pulley, and

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 'I- in Figure l.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I D designates the base orbed of the machine from which the supporting column I I rises and onwhich is received the container shown inl '3 broken lines at C in Figure2 and in full lines in Figures 3 and 4. In these Figures 3 and 4 thecolumn II is shown to be preferably square and advantageouslyconstituted of two mutually opposed channel beams. The beamsconstituting the supporting column II are received into an appropriatestep I2 on the base II). The upper end of the supporting column II isheld together by a cap-piece I 3 which also forms a convenient means forsupporting the brackets I4 which carry the counter-balance pulley I5. Itwill be noted from Figures l and 6 that this counterbalance pulley isset angularly or off centered with respect to the vertical center ofsupporting column II in order to direct the counterbalance cable i6 toone side of the center of the supporting column II, it being desired tosupport the counterweight II in a vertical position at one side of thecenter of the column II in order that this counterweight may move up anddown without interference with the drive shaft I8, which, as shown inFigure 3, extends horizontally through the supporting column II. Thechannel beams composing supporting column II are advantageous for thereason that they can be spaced apart to permit this vertical space inthe column for the passage of drive shaft I8. This drive shaft I8 movesup and down vertically with respect to the column, the same beingjournalled in appropriate bearings upon the vertically movable platformI9 to which the other end of counterbalance cable I6 is affixed as bythe bridle 26. As platform I9 moves up upon the column II, counterweightI1 will move down Within the column, the counterweight I1 passing andre-passing the shaft I8. The platform I9 may be guided in its verticalmovement up and down upon the supporting column I I as by an externalsleeve 2I surrounding the column and carrying anti-friction rollers 22rolling in contact with the outer surface walls of column II. PlatformI9 carries at one side an electric or other motor 23 coupled to drivethe shaft I8. At its other end, adjacent shaft bearing 24, most clearlyappearing in Figure 5, the drive shaft I8 iixedly carries a worm 25meshing with a worm wheel 26 on a shaft 21. As best seen in Figures 1and 3 the shaft 21 is journalled in brackets 28 erected upon theplatform I 9 and having mounted on the outboard ends thereof crank discs29 to which are eccentrically pivoted crank rods 30. These crank rods 30are pivoted at their lower ends to the adjacent end of rockers, therockers being pivoted, as indicated at 32 to the brackets 28 or to thesupporting parts upon the platform I9. The other ends of the rockerspvotally receive the rods or links 33, the latter being pivoted asindicated at 34 in the downwardly projecting ears or lugs 35 of a yoke36. By this means the yoke 36 and its entrained parts may be given avertically reciprocating motion.

The yoke 36 is made fast to the upper end portion of a carrier tube 31.The carrier tube 31 slides up and down in a guide tube 38. The guidetube is affixed to platform I9 in any suitable manner as by flange 39.The guide tube 38 can neither rotate nor reciprocate vertically. It is afixed tube. The carrier tube 31 is longer than the guide tube 38 andprojects above and below the same. At its upper projecting portion thecarrier tube 31 is supported and vertically reciprocated by the yoke 36which lies wholly above the upper end of guide tube 36. The carrier tube31 can vertically reciprocate but is prevented from rotating because ofits fixed connection with non-rotative yoke 36. At its lower end whichprojects below the lower end of the guide tube 38, the carrier tube 31is held in position by thrust bearing 40 affixed to the tamper tube 4I.This tamper tube 4I extends completely through the carrier tube 31 andis required to reciprocate vertically with the carrier tube 31 by reasonof the fact that the tamper tube 4l receives its support from thecarrier tube 31 and its yoke 36. A gear wheel 42 is aiiixed to the upperend of the tamper tube 4I which projects above the carrier tube 31. Thelower edge of this gear wheel 42 is supported by the upper edge ofcarrier tube 31 and yoke 36 or either of the same, through an interposedwasher or gasket 43. Thus the gear wheel 42 serves the double functionof rotating the tamper tube 4I and supporting it for reciprocatingmovement with the carrier tube 31 and its yoke 36. In this way thetamper tube 4I is subjected to a simultaneous rotating andvertically-reciprocating motion.

A long pinion 44 with its teeth disposed vertically meshes with theteeth of the gear wheel 42 and drives said gear Wheel 42. The longpinion 44 is xed to the vertical shaft 45. The shaft may be journalledin bearings 45 and 41 conveniently carried by the guide tube 38. Theshaft 45 may be driven in any appropriate manner preferably by a wormwheel 48 fixed thereon meshing with the worm 49 on the horizontal shaft21 which is the same shaft which carries and drives the eccentric discs29.

As shown to best advantage in Figure l, springs 50 support yoke 36 atopposite sides of guide tube 38, the springs being received at theirlower ends over the pintle supporting brackets 5I which are shown to beof an angle form having their vertical webs aflixed to the sides ofguide tube 33 and with their horizontal webs carrying pintles upstandingwithin the convolutions of springs 50 for the purpose of anchoring thesprings and guiding the springs in their expanding and contractingmovements. The springs 50 virtually support the yoke 36 and consequentlythe carrier tube 31 and the tamper tube 4I. The links or rods 33 drawdown the yoke 36, and with it the carrier tube 31 and tamper tube 4I,compressing springs 50 and energizing said springs into a potentialposition whereby it is the action of the springs 5D that raises the yokeand its entrained parts rather than any particular upwardly thrustingaction of the rods or links 33 although the latter may contribute to thelifting motion.

The tamper tube 4I is open at its upper end to receive the material tobe packed, and at its lower end it carries the tamper head 52.

The tamper head may be of any suitable character but it preferably hastwo sets of blades.

4One set is composed of vertical blades 53 and 54 crossing one anothercentrally and having their outer ends affixed in the lower vertical endsof supporting arms 55 carried by the head 52. These crossed blades 53and 54 form quadrants in which are placed four angular blades 56. Theseblades 56 are preferably short blades and carried by diagonal arms 51supported from the tamper head 52. The angle to the vertical at whichthe diagonal arms 51 are set may be about twelve degrees. The angularblades 56 act as the main tamper and the crossed blades 53 and 54 as thedense tampers and also act to level oif the material as it is packedinto the container, it being understood that the tamper head 52 is givena rotary motion by virtue of the rotation of the tamper tube 4I, andsuch tamper head 52 is also given a vertically reciprocating motion byreason of that imparted by the yoke to the tamper tube.

The tamper head 52 is received into the container C. A dust cover 58 isslidably mounted on the tamper tube 4I and is of a size to fit down overand cover the largest diameter of container C that may be accommodatedin the machine. The dust cover 58 is held down in place by a lightspring 59. The spring reacts against the case 60 which slidably receivesthe cover 58. The case may be aflixed to arm 6I, which arm is carriedxedly by the column II, set screws 62 being shown in Figure 2 asaffixing the arm 6I in place. The arm 6I of course extends below themovable platform I 9. The dust cover 58 slides up and down in the case60. When the tamper head 52 comes up above the top of the container C,such tamperhead 52 automatically engages and raises the dust cover 58 upinto the case til and oi the top of containerC.

The arm El also carries the electric Vibrators 53, 65 and 55. Thesevibrators may be of the form shown and described in my prior patentaforesaid and they are mounted in guideways 66 radially arranged asindicated in Figure 4 to enable the various vibrators to be adjustedtoward and from the center of the can whereby to accommodate cans ofvarious sizes. The vibrators include a solenoid hammer 67, tensionspring 68, adjusting nut 69 and hammer plate 1li which rests directlyagainst the container C, preventing any damage to the container from thesolenoid hammer Sl. The plate il) is positioned to take the blow fromthe hammer Si. The hammer blow is therefore not received directlyagainst the outer wall of container C but only through the plate lll.

One of the vibrators, for instance the vibrator 53, is carried by aswing head 'll pivoted to swing about the center 12 and lifted by handle13. Spring 14 connected to bell crank l5 holds the vibrator 63 in thelower position against the can wall and in the upper position thrownback so as not to casually or accidentally descend. Between these twopositions, the bell-crank I5 swings to opposite sides of its center l2.

The distributor switch, motor operated, and other control switches maybe housed in the control box l5 carried beneath the platform i9.

In the operation of the device, the swinging vibrator 53 is first swungup out of the way so as to admit the container or can C to be placedupon the base l and to be tted up against the plates l@ of the twocompanion vibrators Sil and The swinging Vibrator 53 is then swung downinto place with its plate 'Ni against the wall of container C. Thevibrators will be spaced circumferentially around the container at equalintervals or at any other arcuate distances apart, and the electricalvibrators may be in any suitable numbers. rihey may be actuated in anysuitable order, preferably in a sequence of 63, 613, f

S3 etc., the order of which energizing will be taken care of by thedistributor in the control box l5.

When the container C has been put in place and the Vibrator lowered byhand by simply pulling the same down and thereby causing the tamper head52 and its tube di to descend into the can and take up the positioninitially substantially as shown in Figure 2 where the tamper head 52 isin proximity to the bottom of the container C.

The material to be packed may be stored on the floor above and ledthrough a conveying pipe (not shown) into the upper open end of thetamper tube li at the point marked A. The material will flow downthrough this tube il and will. issue at B through the head 52 and intothe space in and about the tamping' blades. As the material is fed inthrough the tamper tube, the switch, which may be kept in the controlbox l5, is closed causing the motor 23 to turn shaft i3 and through themechanical connections above recited to subject the tamper tube 4l andthe tamper F32 to a combined vertically vibrating and rotary motion.

At the same time, as the material begins to cw into the container, theelectric vibrators 63, it and 65 will be put into operation, thussetting up a circular vibratory action which causes the material tosettle in the container. If it is deadjusted, the platform i9 is i siredto use the electric vibrators alone, this may be accomplished withoutemploying the tamper. To supplement the operation, and to force downvery light substances, the tamper unit is brought into action. Ifdesired the action of the electric vibrators may be suspended and thetamper put into operation.

As the tamper reciprocates vertically the springs will be alternatelycompressed and expanded. These springs balance the thrust on the shaft21 and also on the pivots 32 of rockers 3l. Such springs also cushionthe stroke of the tamper tube and its head. The teeth of gear wheel t2ride up and down between the long teeth of the pinion 40 which permitsof the vertical reciprocating or vibrating movement of the tamper tube4I and allows of rotary motion being imparted to the same through thisgear arrangement. The rotary and reciprocating action of the tamper head52 forces the material down in the container C and levels it ofi. Thetamper blades 53 and. 54 will particularly level off the material in thecontainer as the tamper head 52 rotates. These blades 53 and 5d willalso exert a tamping action on the material in the container and in thisthey are very materially assisted by the angular short blades 55. Thetamper including the entire platform I9 is sensitively counterbalancedso as material piles up and is tamped in the container C such materialwill automatically lift or raise the tamper head 52. Thus the tamperhead 52 is supported and sensitively hung in such a way that it willautomatically retire upwardly as the material in the container C builtup. or in other words as the container C is filled with the material.During this slow raising action of the tamper, it will be at the samerapidly vibrated in a vertical direction and given a rotating motion.The tamper unit may be counterbalanced to within approximately fourpounds of its total weight, and the density of the packing is determinedby placing a weight on the carrier platform i9.

During all of the operation the container C is enclosed by theA cover E8so that the immediately surrounding atmosphere will not be subjected tothe dangers of dust and loss of material.

The total weight of the packer is considerably lighter than the othertype of machines, for instance the auger. type; and together with itssmall power consumption and iiexibility of location in a plant, theimproved packer .has great advantages over other types of packers.

All of the vibrators (it, @il and 55 may be ad- -i justed vertically byloosening the set screws 62 and raising or lowering the xed arm 5l,whereupon the set screws 62 may be retightened.

The electrical circular vibratory action causes the material to settleinto a dense mass. With very light substances it takes longer to settlewhereby the mechanical tamper unit is preferably used in addition onsuch substances, and the combined units quickly produce a dense mass.For cement only the electric vibrators need be ordinarily used; formineral wool only the tampers need be used; for our, litharge andsimilar lighter materials, it is preferable to use both the electricvibrators and the tampers. The

material to be packed is loose when delivered. It

is also aerated, light and fluiTy. If vibrated only the material doesnot fall in rapidly enough; The Vibration settles the material into adense mass. The tamping breaks down the aerated mass and the vibratorssettle that mass and compact it so as to increase its density. Thetamping action is a two-stage action. The angle tampers act on the loosedeep material and press it down angularly and the other tampers compactthe material and level the same. The rotary action of the tampers notonly levels off the material but also carries the tamping action to allparts of the material giving uniformity of density. Due to the generaldesign and arrangement and due to small, light parts and due to thesmall horse power needed for the present machine, such machine may beconstructed and operated economically and emciently and may be built andsold at relatively small cost.

With this system bags can also be packed by the use of an outsidesleeve.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An improved packer comprising a support for a container to be packed,a platform mounted for vertical movement above the support, means forcounterbalancing said platform, a guide tube fixed to said platform, anon-rotative carrier tube fitted to reciprocate vertically in said guidetube, a tamper tube carried by and within said carrier tube and havingits upper end disposed to receive a. supply of material to be packed insaid container, tamper means carried by the lower end of said tampertube and disposed within said container, means for imposing on saidcarrier tube a vertically reciprocating motion, and means for imposingon said tamper tube a rotating motion Within said carrier tube.

2. An improved packer comprising a support for a container to be packed,a vertically movable platform above said support, guide means on saidplatform, a non-rotative vertically reciprocating carrier tube guided bysaid guide means, a rotating tamper tube supported by and verticallyreciprocating with said carrier tube and having its upper end disposedto receive a supply of material to be packed in the container and havingits lower end disposed in said container, means for rotating said tampertube, and tamper means carried by the lower end portion of said tampertube.

3. An improved packer comprising a base to receive a container, asupporting column on the base at one side of the container, a platformmovable vertically on said column toward and from the container, acounterbalance in said column connected to said platform, guide meanscarried by said platform having upper and lower ends, an open-endedcarrier tube vertically reciprocating in said guide means, means on saidplatform connected to reciprocate said carrier tube, an open-endedtamper tube extending through and above and below said carrier tube andsupported thereby to reciprocate vertically therewith, said tamper tubebeing mounted to rotate within and independently of said carrier tube,means on said platform for imparting a rotary motion to said tampertube, and tamper means carried by the lower end portion of said tampertube and normally within said container.

4. A device as described comprising a support for a container, a tampermovable within and without the container, a cover for the containerlifted by said tamper, a case slidably holding the cover, and meansbetween cover and case for yieldably holding the cover on the container.

5. An improved packer comprising a support for a container, a tubemovably mounted in said container and in communication with a source ofsupply of material to be packed, the lower end of said tube adapted tobe lowered into the lower part of the receptacle, tamping means carriedby the lower end of said tube, means for subjecting said tube andtamping means to a combined reciprocatory and rotary motion, means fordelicately supporting and counterbalancing said tube and tamping meansto enable said tamping means to ride upwardly with the tube in advanceof the advancing level of the material in said container, said tampingmeans including horizontally crossed blades having their edges disposeddownward for contacting with the surface portions of the material mass,and inclined blades between the rst mentioned blades acting on downwardmovement to level off mounds of material on the surface of suchmaterial.

6. An improved packer comprising a support for a container, a hollowtube in communication at its upper end with a source of material supplyand having its lower end projecting down into said container and openinginto said container, a tamper head carried by the lower end of saidtube, a platform mounted to move vertically above said container, aguide tube surrounding the upper portion of said tamper tube and carriedxedly by said platform, a carrier tube rotatably supporting the upperpart of said tamper tube and mounted for reciprocation in said guidetube, eccentric means for vertically vibrating said carrier tube andentrained tamper tube, spring means for cushioning the vibratory motionof said carrier tube, and counterbalance means for said platform and theparts carried thereby.

'7. In a packer, a support for a container, a movable platform havingvertical motion above said container, guide'means on said platform,carrier means positioned to vibrate vertically in said guide means, aneccentric device carried by said platform and connected to reciprocatesaid carrier means, spring means for cushioning the reciprocatory motionof said carrier means and interposed between said carrier means and saideccentric device, a tamper supporting member rotatable with respect tosaid carrier means but fixed to partake of the reciprocatory motion ofsaid carrier means, a tamper carried by said supporting member, andmeans for delicately counterbalancing said platform and the partscarried thereby.

MOSES A. HARRIS.

